Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau
Palau: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 48.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau stood at 48.3%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau peaked at 48.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1980.
Palau ranks 11th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 21.3% | — |
| 1981 | 21.7% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 22.0% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 22.4% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 22.8% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 23.3% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 23.7% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 24.2% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 24.7% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 25.1% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 25.6% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 26.2% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 26.7% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 27.3% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 27.8% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 28.4% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 29.0% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 29.5% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 30.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 30.7% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 31.4% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 32.2% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 33.0% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 33.9% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 34.7% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 35.6% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 36.3% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 37.0% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 37.6% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 38.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 38.7% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 39.2% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 39.8% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 40.3% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 40.9% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 41.5% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 42.1% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 42.8% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 43.5% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 44.3% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 45.1% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 45.9% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 47.5% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 48.3% | +1.6% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 48.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 1.6× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Palau's 48.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.5%, 1.6× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.1% | 21.3% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.1% | 25.6% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.0% | 31.4% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.3% | 38.7% | 44.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.7% | 45.1% | 48.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More health data for Palau
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,529 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2087)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 0 deaths (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2689 % change on previous year (2090)
- Population, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Population, male, annual growth rate -0.2518 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, male, per capita 0.5382 units per person (2025)
- Age population, age 19, male, interpolated 116 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Palau was 48.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1980.
- How does Palau rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Palau ranks 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years old that are defined as either overweight or obese. This means their weight-for-height is more than one standard deviations from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards.